 | Home > Off Topic > weight limit on a recovery truck |
 
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3480   
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The road haulage industry have been concerned about this for years, and in my mind, rightly so. High speed tractors are now reasonably common and it is not only the tachometer issue. These tractors need no formal maintenance or MOT, and chevron tyres offer little grip on a dry road, let alone a wet one. Some Farmers and Contractors are running these things long distance like a truck. With the shortage of HGV drivers which has been highlighted by bare shelves in the supermarkets, I really don’t think there will be an appetite for trying to change things anytime soon. |
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30th Aug 2021 8:37am |
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| kenzle8a Member Since: 12 Feb 2020 Location: None Posts: 1074 
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They have been moaning about high speed tractors since the neighbouring farm to ours got two JCB fast tracs in 1996, we had a relatively fast 4wd Ford for 90% of the work we did but had to rely on hauliers for grain movement, given how tight farming budgets were then if we could have gone down the fast trac route we would have.
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30th Aug 2021 9:57am |
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| Bluest Member Since: 23 Apr 2016 Location: Lancashire Posts: 4197 
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Years ago (maybe 10 years) I dealt with a crash involving a really big 4x4 tractor pulling a huge tipper trailer. The trailer had overturned, shedding the load. I can’t recall what they were carrying. What stuck with me was there were three identical tractors in convoy and I was chatting to the drivers while recovery was going on, they told me they were on a regular run from Bolton to Rochdale that they did every day. At the time I couldn’t understand why you would use three tractors instead of one or two artics for a journey like that. With hindsight the only reason must’ve have been to avoid O-licensing. I’d imagine if you stayed off the main roads, stayed out of trouble you could run like this and avoid the wrath of DVSA 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
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30th Aug 2021 10:21am |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3480
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Plus they were probably running red diesel, and the guys driving the tractors would be on considerably less money than an HGV driver would be on (that's not implying HGV drivers are well paid, but the agricultural industry is not known for paying well!), and they could drive without statutory breaks.
I too have heard of JCB's (specifically) being used for doing really long runs. It really is a no-brainer. The limit would be on the cab as I have never seen a Tractor with a sleeper cab - although the Case Quad-Trac cab does come close  so if your driver was out longer than a shift, you would need digs with suitable parking. But the with no tachograph, there is no reason why your driver couldn't drive 18 hours  |
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30th Aug 2021 12:55pm |
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| kenzle8a Member Since: 12 Feb 2020 Location: None Posts: 1074
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Theres a good reason we don't use tacho's for farming, I remember doing 20 hours, 4 hours sleep, then another 20 hours in our combine to get it done.
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30th Aug 2021 1:05pm |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3480
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Harvest time is usually manic and involves long hours, which I appreciate lord-haggis.
There is still a duty of care and if, God forbid, there was an accident on the road involving a serious injury or death, and you were found to have been working 20 hours without break, that would more than likely end up in a custodial sentence. The big farm up the road from me used to have a Guy (my school friend's Dad!) who drove one of his combines. He would be in the seat whenever it was running. He earned really good money!! I heard the other day that non of that Farmers combines run like that anymore and the drivers are all on shifts. I suppose it depends how many people work on the farm as the above is pretty impractical if there are only a couple of you  |
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30th Aug 2021 1:23pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17327 
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As far as I know it is also still legal for a 16-year-old to drive an ag tractor running at HGV gross weights on the road.
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30th Aug 2021 4:56pm |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018 
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That's not an overhang...  Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge But taking the prize this week: Click image to enlarge GMP Traffic (@gmptraffic) Tweeted: #ME64 has been out and about on the M62 around Birch services. Hes just stopped this Hyundai Tucson towing a Astra. When he asked the driver what was holding the Astra to the trailer his response.... "The Handbrake" 🤦♂️ PG9 issued till load secured and TOR issued @NWmwaypolice https://t.co/jf1fBxt9gl https://twitter.com/gmptraffic/status/1432758977738256384?s=20 |
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31st Aug 2021 12:04pm |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018
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This bloke still can't afford a few straps... Click image to enlarge Norfolk & Suffolk Roads and Armed Policing Team (@NSRAPT) Tweeted: #RCRT & #RAPT have been #A47 #A11 this week on #OpTramline There have been some shocking stops on vehicle loads. There should be more than just gravity holding loads onto vehicles. #RoadSafety #TOR #190/845/others https://t.co/LjKN0VOGPo https://twitter.com/NSRAPT/status/1433862866013143041?s=20 Correct me if I'm wrong but don't farmers get a 100% allowance for farm machinery (to a limit) to offset against tax? |
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4th Sep 2021 7:06am |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018
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I'm a fan of the over the wheel tie down method but this just variation leaves me a little uneasy:
Click image to enlarge |
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8th Sep 2021 7:02pm |
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| Bluest Member Since: 23 Apr 2016 Location: Lancashire Posts: 4197
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It’s questionable weather it’s acceptable to hook the straps through the holes in the deck. It used to be an absolute no no for big car transporters but DVSA softened their view. I don’t know if that applies to smaller trailers like this. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
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8th Sep 2021 7:12pm |
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| Mdm Member Since: 11 Sep 2013 Location: Sunny Lancashire Posts: 1583
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over the wheels are fine i use them now and again but most of the big transporters use that system as does a lot of the eu. the landy above would fail as you need to have the extra links and hooks at the base of the tyre on both sides.
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8th Sep 2021 7:15pm |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3480
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Normal for Norfolk 
I see this all the time this time of year. They do strap large square bales but only across and never front to back. If Norfolk Police are surprised by this kind of thing, they have had their eyes shut for years. I have never seen round bales strapped or tied. Sadly it will be the Farm Labourer driving the tractor getting the wrap, not the Farm Manager / Owner. I am right, that an insecure load is the drivers responsibility ?? |
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8th Sep 2021 7:26pm |
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| Rashers Member Since: 21 Jun 2015 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3480
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This was in our local paper a couple of weeks ago
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/traffic/ndr-r...es-8272602 Sorry if it looks like I am anti-farmer. I really am not. I love the industry. I come from a farming family but there are far too many accidents on farms. People doing idiotic things that just make you cringe. I can’t believe sometimes how I ever survived my childhood on a 1970’s Farm. I worked in Construction and when I started 35 years ago, there was a similar ‘the jobs got to get done at any cost’ attitude. Attitudes on larger sites have improved no end (not sure about smaller sites) but Farming safety in general needs to be improved. A round bale or large square bale falling off a trailer would easily kill a pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist. |
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8th Sep 2021 7:34pm |
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